Garden of Reflection 9-11 Memorial

“Arriving at my hotel room in Princeton a short while later, I wept and wept for what I saw that day and all the people who had died, a final tally I didn’t yet know. All that I wanted was to be home and hug my family. The next morning, with air travel still grounded, I decided to get in my rental car and drive more than 13 hours straight home to be with my family.” — Michael D. Becker, A Walk with Purpose

Many Americans recall precisely what they were doing the morning of September 11, 2001. Still living in Chicago at the time, a business trip brought me to New York that fateful day.

We were in the process of buying a home in rural, beautiful Bucks County, Pennsylvania in connection with my new job. The home we just purchased was a quick 20-minute drive to the company’s headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey.

We didn’t appreciate that Bucks County was also a popular commuter town for New York City workers, which came in handy when I started working in NYC later in my career. People live in Bucks County because they prefer the aesthetics and/or the economics of living in the country, despite the hassles of commuting back-and-forth to NYC.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in New York City, Washington, DC and outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania during the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Our local community was hit hard, with the loss of 18 souls from Bucks County.

The Garden of Reflection is a short distance from our house, so it is a favorite destination when I take our pup Humphrey for a walk. During most visits, it is merely a peaceful place for self-reflection that I enjoy immensely. As Confucius said, “By three methods may we learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is the noblest; second, by imitation, which is the easiest; and third, by experience, which is the most bitter”.

On the anniversary of 9-11, however, the Memorial is a sacred place where people come together to honor, remember and celebrate the lives of all we lost. The grounds include all of the victims’ names etched in glass railings and twin lighted fountains reminiscent of the landmark Twin Towers that were destroyed in the attacks.

With a budding interest in photography, I attempted to capture the 9-11 Memorial at sunset in July 2012. It was a beautiful day, and I came fully prepared with a tripod, lens filters, and additional camera equipment.

I was pleasantly surprised after returning home and viewing the resulting photos on my computer screen. The setting sun was centered between the twin fountains and cast long, dark shadows that resembled the World Trade Center towers. The sun also nicely backlit the 18 local victims’ names etched in glass panels along the inner railing.

I’m not sure that I’ll ever fully grasp how the Sept. 11 terror attacks forever changed me. The sights, smells, and sounds of that day are permanently etched into my memory. One thing is certain—just like cancer, the events of 9-11 helped me to look at life in new ways and focused a spotlight on what really matters most.

Search the Blog’s +100 Posts By Keyword

Search for:

Subscribe to Blog

Receive email notifications of new posts. That's all - no SPAM, no marketing.

Join 289 other subscribers

Email Address

About this Blog

Welcome to my journey and my journal. Aside from the fact that I find writing cathartic, one purpose for this blog is to keep family and friends updated following my diagnosis with Stage IV oropharyngeal cancer in December 2015. An additional benefit is that some of the content may be a helpful resource for others dealing with head/neck cancer. Lastly, I hope that by sharing this experience freely, I can help create greater awareness for HPV and its link to six cancers with the hope that preteen vaccination rates improve. The blog posts are in reverse chronological order and go all the way back to November 2015.